Penny Lane is a show about the business, economics, and technology of music streaming, hosted by Matt Squire and Shawn Yeager, and presented by Trustream.
This Week’s Guest
Charles Alexander is an independent singer/songwriter, digital strategist and artist manager. He recently launched Systemic, an artist & label services company specializing in streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube and Pandora. He also owns Outside The Box Music, an artist management & marketing company where he helps artists, musicians & songwriters create and extend their online presence. He has run digital campaigns for such diverse clients as Ryan Cabrera, Curb Records, Keb’ Mo’ and Lacy Cavalier, amongst others.
We asked Charles to join us to discuss streaming’s evolving role in artists’ careers, from the ways they create, to how they market and promote their music, to the ways in which they earn a living.
Highlights
In this episode, we cover topics including:
How to value stream counts
Why playlists are not a marketing plan
The importance of knowing by whose rules you’re playing
The measurements Spotify uses to determine how audiences respond to a song
Paid vs ad-supported, and the cost of free
How streaming factors into a holistic marketing plan
What and who artists should trust in the age of streaming
Resources
Is Spotify making songs shorter?
Systemic Music
Tastemaker Music

Penny Lane is a show about the business, economics, and technology of music streaming, hosted by Matt Squire and Shawn Yeager, and presented by Trustream.
This Week’s Guest
Erik Mendelson is co-founder of Cre8tor and Tune Token. Erik got his start in the music business working in promotions for Elektra Records. He continued to hone his skills in marketing and promotions for Jive Records, and then notably as SVP of Marketing and Promotion at Digiwaxx Media. At Digiwaxx, Erik drove national marketing campaigns and partnerships with clients including SonyBMG, Cingular Wireless, Sony Erickson, Puma, Columbia Records, and the beloved Microsoft Zune. RIP.
We asked Erik join us to share his insights on the impact of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology on the present and future of music streaming. We got that, and a whole lot more.
Highlights
In this episode, we cover topics including:
The challenges of record deals and royalties collection
How do we solve the music industry’s “data problem?”
Raising money in music tech
The continuing importance of radio
Why brand-building beats chasing hits
The importance of authenticity — on being a rockstar
How streaming deals and the fundamental economics must change to make real money for artists
How blockchain and cryptocurrency’s future bridges to the traditional music industry
On getting back to record labels as peddlers of cool
Resources
Erik’s Blockchain Music Company Comparison
Cre8tor
Tune Token

In this conversation with Mike Fabio of New West Records, we explore the numerous ways in which digital and streaming, in particular, intersect and drive the strategies and operations of a modern, independent record label. We also discuss what may come next after streaming.
Mike Fabio is Vice President, Digital Strategy for New West Records, home to artists including John Hiatt, Ben Folds, and All Them Witches. Mike’s prior roles include the first executive at Warner Bros Records responsible for social media and community, where he worked with and built pioneering digital campaigns with artists like DEVO, Eric Clapton, and The Black Keys, community manager for Google’s Lunar X Prize Foundation, and research assistant at the world-renowned MIT Media Lab.
You can find Mike Fabio on all the socials at @revrev, and learn more about New West Records at http://newwestrecords.com.
We'd love to hear from you. Get in touch at @trustreamco on Twitter, or podcast@trustream.co. If you're listening in the Anchor app, send us questions or feedback in a voice message.

In this informative interview with Chris Castle, we dive deep into what we can expect over the next two years and beyond as the Music Modernization Act, now law, moves to appointments, regulations, and into the implementation phase. Grab paper and pen. You're going to want to take notes.
Chris Castle is a prominent music industry attorney working at the nexus of the music industry, digital media, and public policy. Before starting his independent law practice, career highlights include serving as SVP and General Counsel to SNOCAP (Napster), SVP Business Affairs at Sony Music, and VP Business Affairs at A&M Records.
You can learn more about Chris and his work at www.christiancastle.com.
We'd love to hear from you. Get in touch at @trustreamco on Twitter, or podcast@trustream.co. If you're listening in the Anchor app, send us questions or feedback in a voice message.

Hello, and welcome to Penny Lane, presented by Trustream (trustream.co). Your co-hosts are Shawn Yeager (@shawnyeager) and Matt Squire (@matt_squire).
Penny Lane is a show about the business, economics, and technology of music streaming – in a post-MMA world. Our goal is to offer songwriters, publishers, artists, and others a better understanding of music streaming and how it and the Music Modernization Act will affect your future.
We'll feature in-depth interviews during each episode, sharing perspectives, opinions, and insights into music streaming, and how our guests and their businesses are adapting to and embracing it.
You’ll hear conversations with a host of interesting people from across the music business spectrum, including songwriters, artists, executives, technologists, and journalists.
We’ll be releasing new episodes monthly to start. Based on your feedback, we may ramp that up over time.
We’d love to hear from you. You can reach us on Twitter @trustreamco, or by email at podcast@trustream.co. If you’re using the Anchor app, you can even send us a voice message.
We appreciate you listening, and we’re excited to have you with us. See you soon.